The idea of scripture is amazing; so amazing it can be hard to believe. This book we call the Bible holds words written by people we never met, yet we base our lives on it? Undeniably, yes. However, scripture is so much more than this: scripture is a gift directly from God. 2 Peter 1:21 reads, “ No prophecy of scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation of things. For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets through humans spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” That means that this book and these words are God’s; 100%, fully, entirely, and directly God’s words. That is why we full heartedly believe in scripture. So, we have these beautiful God given words, what do we do with them? 2 Timothy 3:16 reiterates the origin of scripture and gives a straightforward answer as to its purpose. The verse states, “All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness.” Righteousness. We all strive to be righteous in God’s eyes, we all want to please Him and scripture gives us straightforward instructions on how to do just that. The instructions are typically called “laws” and scripture is full of them. As repeated over and over throughout Psalm 119, God’s law is right and just and we are to seek understanding of them so that we may love these laws. We grow to love these laws by fully understanding them and coming to comprehend that through the boundaries set in laws we can find a joyful freedom. If we truly want to live righteous lives under God, then we begin to see the wonderful aspects in law guiding us in every part of our life so that we then have the freewill to choose to follow these laws and live a righteous life. Thankfully, the Bible is not just a long list of laws. Rather, we are also granted with stories, parables, and examples of people following the laws and their consequences, as well as of people breaking the laws and their consequences. We are given all these great things so that we don’t have blind faith and instead are able to understand why we are to do what the laws ask and truly believe that they are the right things to do.
That being said, it is vital that we read scriptures and the laws as they are written and do not misinterpret the meaning. In a chapter of his book, Dr. Balthasar Hubmaier, a theologian of Anabaptism, arranged a list of 26 theses regarding how scripture should be regarded. Hubmaier’s 9th point states, “Search in scripture, not in papal law, not councils, not fathers, not schools; for it is the discourse which Christ spoke which shall judge all things” (53). This means that Christians are to hold scripture as the primary resource for finding any answers. Hubmaier continues, in his 12th point, to explain that searching scripture is done by “illuminating the darker texts of scripture with the clearer” (53). Therefore, he understands that sometimes scripture is difficult to decipher. In his 6th point, Hubmaier advises that, like Jesus elected Peter, Paul, Barnabus, and James from His church, Christians should select three or four men to judge the content of the divine Word and what comes of it. However, he reminds Christians that these people are not to judge the truth of the Word because it is eternal and unchanging (52). Scripture is complicated, but when interpreted properly it is full of good teachings that Christians are called to adhere to, making it necessary to the faith.
Sadly, there are still Christians who claim to believe, yet disregard scripture all together. Hubmaier discusses these Christians in another chapter of his book titled, On Heretics and Those Who Burn Them. He opens by defining a heretic as anyone who resists scripture or “exposits it in otherwise than the Holy Spirit demands” (59). Hubmaier explains that these people will be taken to the righteousness of God and either be converted or further hardened, then, the blind will lead the blind and the true believers will divide (61). Next, Hubmaier calls to light that a true believer’s duty is to “pray and hope for repentance as long a person lives in this misery” (62). As Christian’s, it is our obligation to ensure we understand scripture as it is written so that we may not become heretics. Furthermore, it is not our responsibility “to burn a heretic” or we will be worse off than the heretic himself because then we would be attempting to place ourselves above God. Scripture is at our hands and we ought to utilize it to the fullest.
Have you ever seen 47 18 year old’s filling into a room at seven in the morning with smiles on their faces and Bibles in their hands? That is what each and every one of my mornings consists of on The World Race. The hymn, How Firm a Foundation, by John Rippon, states “How firm a foundation ye saints of the Lord, is laid for your faith in His excellent Word!” (364). As my squad meets every morning for daily devotional, we use His Word to build this firm foundation for our day and ultimately for our whole lives. This practice has already impacted my spiritual growth tremendously because it has become so easy to dive into scripture. Then I am able to discuss it with my squad-mates and together we decipher the true meaning of scripture and what to do with it. It amazes me each day to live in a community where scripture truly is held as what it is; the Word of God.
